Vermont's rabid fans will be out in force for Saturday's America East title game at Patrick Gym, just as they were in this 2007 photo. / Free press file photo

Written by

Free Press Staff Writer

America East title-game matchups

• Backcourt: UVM junior shooting guard Candon Rusin was on fire during the Catamounts’ two playoff wins while the steady Sandro Carissimo, a junior point guard, proved during last year’s tournament he can bury clutch shots. Senior transfer Trey Blue can knock down 3s and also drive for buckets. The most talented guard on the court, however, will be Albany’s Mike Black, an America East first-team all-star who averages 15 points a game and drove for a basket with two seconds remaining to lift the Great Danes over Stony Brook in the semifinals. Another threat for Albany is Jacob Iati, one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters. EDGE: Albany• Frontcourt:Brian Voelkel, UVM’s most valuable player, is second in the league in rebounding and assists. Albany has some big bodies to match the Catamounts’ size, but not as much finesse as UVM’s Luke Apfeld, Clancy Rugg and freshman Ethan O’Day. Lately, Albany’s offense has run through Sam Rowley, who scored 19 points in Albany’s 50-49 quarterfinal win over Maine. Gary Johnson, who played a combined seven minutes in two losses to Vermont this season, has been playing up to 30 minutes a game recently and has emerged as a defensive stopper. EDGE:Vermont• Bench:Candon Rusin and Luke Apfeld lost their starting spots because of injuries, but both are healthy now and give UVM a lot of depth. Catamounts’ bench outscored Albany’s 27-9 in the last meeting at Patrick Gym. EDGE: Vermont

More

ADVERTISEMENT

A year ago, the University of Vermont men’s basketball team took satisfaction in silencing 5,000 fans when it captured the America East Conference championship at Stony Brook.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s league title game, however, the Catamounts hope there’s ear-splitting cheers, and fans clad in green and gold storming the court.

That will be the scene if UVM defends its crown with a victory over Albany at Patrick Gymnasium and books another trip to the NCAA tournament.

It would be tough, maybe impossible, to find a sporting event in Vermont with a more electric atmosphere than a college basketball title game at Patrick Gym. The game is set for 11:30 a.m., and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. All 3,266 tickets have been sold, including 700 snatched up by UVM students. The school is encouraging fans to wear gold to the game.

The Catamounts have long been heavily supported by the community, but unlike during the regular season, the students come out in full force for a championship, yelling at at the top of their lungs with every possession.

“When you get 700 students in here it becomes a completely different environment,” UVM coach John Becker said. “I’m happy the players and the fans get to experience the championship game at Patrick Gym. There’s nothing like it.”

“That’s one of the main reasons a lot of the guys choose to come to Vermont,” UVM junior captain Luke Apfeld said. “I’m just excited to get out here and play in front of the home fans. Hopefully we put on a good show for them.”

In the midst of an impressive run, UVM (21-10) is vying for its second consecutive America East title and sixth in 11 years. It’s the Catamounts’ eighth appearance in the title game in 12 years.

“Vermont has been the model of consistency in this league,” Albany coach Will Brown has often said.

Home sweet home

Vermont, the second seed, took care of business at Albany’s SEFCU Arena last weekend, surging past New Hampshire in the quarterfinals and Maryland-Baltimore County in semifinals.

(Page 2 of 3)

The title game detoured from Long Island to Burlington when fourth-seeded Albany bumped off No. 1 Stony Brook, 61-59, in Sunday’s late semifinal.

“We took care of what we can control, and then we got a couple breaks, things fell our way so we can host this game, which is a huge advantage,” Becker said.

How huge?

In the 33-year history of the America East (and its predecessor, the North Atlantic Conference), the home team has won 25 times in the 29 years that a tournament final has been contested on a team’s home court.

However, you don’t have to look far to find precedent for the visiting team’s pulling off a big upset. In addition to UVM’s winning the title at Stony Brook last year, other evidence lies in the Catamounts falling to Albany in the 2007 championship game at Patrick Gym as the No. 1 seed.

UVM fans would probably prefer to push aside memories of the 2007 heartbreaker and replace them with those from the 2010 title game at Patrick Gym, when Marqus Blakely capped the Catamounts’ win against Boston University with a thunderous dunk.

Three of UVM’s five coronations were at Patrick Gym, the others coming in 2004 against Maine and 2005 against Northeastern in the final season for coach Tom Brennan and superstar players Taylor Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine.

UVM is 10-4 at Patrick Gym this season, and the Catamounts, who fell to Hartford in the regular-season finale, haven’t lost back-to-back home games against league opponents since 2008.

“We are going to have to play really well Saturday to win, and we understand that,” said Becker, who’s in his second year as the Catamounts’ head coach. “But we want to enjoy it and not play tight, not play on our heels. We can’t expect to win beause we are at home. We have to go out and win this game.”

Head to head

Vermont’s eight straight wins in the series against Albany include rolling to a 70-45 triumph at Patrick Gym on Jan. 5 and grinding out a 50-43 win at SEFCU Arena on Jan. 26.

Apfeld said the second meeting might be a more accurate indicator for what to expect in the championship, considering UVM and Albany are ranked second and third, respectively, in the America East in scoring defense.

(Page 3 of 3)

“Our first contest was lopsided,” Apfeld said. “Albany didn’t play that great; we kind of took them out of their system with our defense. The second game was a lot closer, probably what we are going to see (Saturday): Hardfought, low-scoring gudge match between two great coaches and two great programs.”

Will Brown, Albany’s coach, said his team “laid an egg” in the first game and is a “much different team” than it was when it last played Vermont.

“We are playing well at the right time of year,” said Brown, whose team’s 23-10 record includes a nonleague win at Washington, the reigning Pac-12 champion.

Albany is playing in its first championship since winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. The Great Danes beat Vermont in both of those finals.

A half dozen players on UVM’s experienced roster played key roles in helping the Catamounts march to the title a year ago. Many of them have never experienced cutting down the Patrick Gym nets. Senior center Ben Crenca and Apfeld are the only players who were on the 2010 title team, and Apfeld was sitting out with a medical redshirt.

“It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere,” Becker said. “A lot of former players will be here, 700 students will be packed in here. Hopefully we are all dancing around on the court after the game.”